The 2025 edition of the legendary Tirreno-Adriatico race culminated on Sunday with the final stage of The Race of the Two Seas. As tradition prescribes it, race organizer RCS Sport had chosen San Benedetto del Tronto as the finish town of the legendary and exciting race, which had truly marked the arrival of Spring cycling in Italy.

The 147-kilometer route of stage 7 of Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 would take the riders from Porto Potenza Picena to San Benedetto del Tronto on the Italian east coast. Apart from climbing challenges between kilometer thirty and seventy, which would include the Ripatransone climb, the route would be pancake flat, thereby appealing to sprinters in the peloton, who would be eager to show their great power and dominance in the final stage. 

Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) was leading the general classification before the final stage after former leader Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) got dropped in the climbing finale of yesterday’s stage. Ayuso had shown great willpower and courage by attacking solo in the final kilometers. Antonio Tiberi was in second place for Bahrain Victorious, 37 seconds behind Ayuso. Ganna was now third, 38 seconds back. Derek Gee (Team PremierTech) was fourth, Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) fifth, Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) sixth, and Mikel Landa seventh for Soudal-QuickStep.

Riders in the professional cycling peloton gathered in Porto Potenza Picena for the start of stage 7. The weather conditions were cloudy with fifteen degrees Celsius.

A five-man breakaway escaped from the peloton shortly after the start of the stage. The group featured Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Kevin Vauquelin (Arkea B & B Hotels), Lucas Hamilton (Ineos-Grenadiers), Bjoern Koerdt (Team Picnic-PostNL), and Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group – Bardiani CSF - Faizane). The optimists had fought their way to an advantage of 01:15 minutes after twenty kilometers in the saddle.

As the riders approached the Ripatransone climb, the advantage of the front group had been reduced to just thirty seconds because of a very powerful effort from the Ineos-Grenadiers team at the front of the main peloton. Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) moved close to the front of the peloton to have a brief chat with Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) – apparently the sprinter was discontent with the fast pace that was being set in the climbing sections.

The climb caused a split in the breakaway group, where Van der Poel was now solo in front followed by Tarozzi. Tarozzi was caught by the peloton shortly thereafter. Van der Poel’s advantage was now eighteen seconds.

Ineos-Grenadiers riders were still setting a fast pace in the main peloton. This caused van der Poel to get caught before the top of the Ripatransone climb. Downhill and flat terrain now awaited the riders all the way to the finish line in San Benedetto del Tronto. Several sprinters were struggling to maintain contact at the back of the main peloton on the climb. Ninety kilometers remained.

The riders completed the descent and Ineos-Grenadiers riders were still at the front of the peloton, while being closely monitored by riders from Lidl-Trek and UAE Team Emirates.

The Ineos-Grenadiers team was still letting its riders do all the hard work when sixty kilometers remained.

Ben Healy attacked for EF Education-EasyPost with 43 kilometers of the race remaining. Healy was caught two kilometers later. The race had unfortunately been a significant disappointment for the EF Education-EasyPost team as had the team’s rider signing efforts before the 2025 season. 

Team Visma-Lease a Bike had taken over control at the front of the peloton. Steven Kruijswick acted as windbreaker. 

When ten kilometers remained all riders were in the main peloton, which was spearheaded by a rider from Tudor Pro Cycling Team. The sprinter teams were setting up their sprinters for a sprint finale in the final stage of this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico.

No less than 8000 palms were growing along the avenue where the stage would be decided.

The riders reached the last three kilometers together and the final sprinting efforts would soon be launched. Visma-Lease a Bike and Soudal-QuickStep riders were leading the peloton onto the final stretch. Jayco-Alula took over with two kilometers left. Ineos-Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek joined the intense action.

Filippo Ganna delivered a lead-out effort as thank you to Lidl-Trek for their cooperation earlier in the stage.

A big crash occurred in the final one hundred meters of the stage. The sprinters were delivering maximum power into the pedals. 

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) launched his sprint and won the sprint over Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale), who almost overtook the Italian in the final meters. Olav Kooij completed the stage podium for Team Visma-Lease a Bike.

“I’m super happy about my second stage win in Tirreno-Adriatico,” stage winner Jonathan Milan told Roadcycling.com shortly after crossing the finish line. “I’m sorry that Jasper crashed in the finale and I hope that no riders are seriously injured. This win is great after the crash I had myself a few days ago, and now we will see what will happen in the next races,” Milan explained.

Juan Ayuso won the general classification of Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 for UAE Team Emirates in 28:41:24. Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) climbed to second place, 35 seconds behind the GC winner. Antonio Tiberi was third – the Bahrain Victorious rider was just one second slower than Ganna. Derek Gee was fourth, Jai Hindley fifth, while Thomas Pidcock finished sixth in the GC and Mikel Landa seventh.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for further coverage from the 2025 road cycling season.